The ROBB Story

Eugene Linwood, Jr. founded Reaching Out Beyond Bars (ROBB) to help save at-risk youth from behavior leading to incarceration. Officially established in 2008, ROBB was created to make a difference in the lives of at-risk youth both inside and outside prisons.
Eugene Linwood, Jr. was born in Peoria, Illinois with a solid foundation intellectually and spiritually. Influenced by his parent's love for religion, Eugene began to preach and teach when he was eight years-old, and has been reaching people over the years in his own unique style.
As a teen, Eugene became an accomplished artist and after finishing high school enrolled in college and worked as a disc jockey for local radio stations. At 24 he joined the Army serving two tours of duty both overseas and stateside. While serving in Brooklyn, New York, he counseled youth who like himself, had been abused as a child. He went on to help several people start a program that provided housing to homeless teens. The Blueberry Program provided homeless teens with housing, counseling for mental illness, physical, emotional and sexual abuse and launched Eugene into the work that would eventually mold him into his present position.
In 1992, Eugene left the Army to pursue educational goals. However his bout with PTSD and the demons of his past cast him deep into the world of drugs, alcohol and criminal behavior. In 1994, Eugene was imprisoned in the federal prison system where he started the difficult road to recovery. He worked tirelessly on self-improvement before helping others. In 2004, Eugene interviewed several young men for his informative book 'Young, Gifted & Incarcerated.' He also created an online news service 'Alternatives To Youth Crime News Service' to inform society about the ills facing our youth nationwide. In 2006, Eugene joined forces with Mr. Ron Fryer, President of The Insider Magazine, Inc. who sponsors ROBB.
At the heart of Eugene's values is his commitment to the communities he left behind. As a grass roots non-profit organization ROBB serves to use all means necessary to connect with at-risk youth. Since its establishment, the organization has introduced several projects for at-risk youth. These projects have already begun to impact the lives of the over 200,000 at-risk youth who enter America's jails and prisons each year.
Thus far, Eugene has a lifetime of success and failure but with his faith in redemption, rehabilitation and change his creation of Reaching Out Beyond Bars is a worthwhile and rewarding project. He believes that ROBB is the launching pad into his future work as the "voice" of the youth through radio, television and print media. Eugene Linwood, Jr. has only just begun.

Our Team
The ROBB program includes several hardworking individuals who have come together as a team sharing the same passion and concern for at-risk youth.
Vision
To uplift at-risk youth and inspire them to achieve their dreams and become a choice for change within their communities.

Mission
To bring global awareness to the cause of the mass incarceration of America's at-risk youth. To place a spotlight on juvenile delinquency, drug and alcohol abuse, gang and gun violence in hopes of creating community awareness and change. To train at-risk youth to become mentors and advocates to prevent juvenile incarceration.

Projects
The projects of ROBB show the depth of our commitment to young people. These projects are geared toward helping them develop proper principles to achieve their dreams. ROBB offers a variety of innovative projects that will not only educate young people, but also demonstrate meaningful, effective practices and a strong connection to the community.

ROBB Community Safehouse Project is a community based 24 hour safehouse that provides a safe haven for at-risk youth. The Safehouse is operated by professional staff and will provide education, recreation and self-improvement classes to aid in the upliftment of young people.

ROBB Gang Intervention Project offers an alternative to gang violence by providing enhanced learning and behavior modules, motivational enhancement and social learning skills. Several classes in Parenting, Self-Improvement, Personal Finance and Anger Management are conducted to reduce criminal conduct, decrease antisocial behavior leading to incarceration and provide viable options to drug sales and several other criminal acts against self and society.